onKeyDown and onKeyLongPress

Question

I want my application to react differently to a normal and a long pressed Key Event of the Volume Buttons.

I've already seen this, but if I keep the volume button pressed, I get a lot of KeyDown Events before I get the KeyLongPressed Event.

I'd like to have either one event or the other, not both, so that I can adjust the Volume at a short press and skip a track at a long press.

Can you help me out here?

This is my code:

    @Override
public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) 
    {
        Log.d("Test", "Long press!");
        return true;
    }
    return super.onKeyLongPress(keyCode, event);
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        event.startTracking();
        Log.d("Test", "Short");
        return true;
    }

    return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
}

Any help appreciated! - Iris

then try with key up (KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP) instead of keydown; if long press will call before key up, if long pressed called stop the action in keyup using flag — Sandeep P, Oct 18 '12 at 08:34
That is the volume up key, not an indicator that tells you the key is hold down or something like that. — Rolf ツ, Oct 18 '12 at 08:43
Similar: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19883383/android-onkeylongpress-when-webview-exists — trante, Jan 16 '14 at 22:44

VendettaDroid · Accepted Answer · 2012-10-18T09:10:36.473

Here is the code that I wrote. It works like a charm. May be you can optimize it for better logic. But you will get the point with it. The key is to use flags. Short press is a press where we press volume button for short time and release. So onKeyUp is the one which will help us detect short presses.

package com.example.demo;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.view.Menu;

public class TestVolumeActivity extends Activity {
    boolean flag = false;

    boolean flag2 = false;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_splash_screen);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.activity_splash_screen, menu);
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
            Log.d("Test", "Long press!");
            flag = false;
            flag2 = true;
            return true;
        }
        return super.onKeyLongPress(keyCode, event);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
            event.startTracking();
            if (flag2 == true) {
                flag = false;
            } else {
                flag = true;
                flag2 = false;
            }

            return true;
        }
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyUp(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {

            event.startTracking();
            if (flag) {
                Log.d("Test", "Short");
            }
            flag = true;
            flag2 = false;
            return true;
        }

        return super.onKeyUp(keyCode, event);
    }
}

Logcat for all long presses(No short press detected):

10-18 02:06:15.369: D/Test(16834): Long press!
10-18 02:06:18.683: D/Test(16834): Long press!
10-18 02:06:21.566: D/Test(16834): Long press!
10-18 02:06:23.738: D/Test(16834): Long press!

Logcat for all short presses:

10-18 02:07:42.422: D/Test(16834): Short
10-18 02:07:43.203: D/Test(16834): Short
10-18 02:07:43.663: D/Test(16834): Short
10-18 02:07:44.144: D/Test(16834): Short

+1 Beat me to it by one minute :) I though that for some reason he wouldn't be passed key up events — lucian.pantelimon, Oct 18 '12 at 09:09
why so many flags, just use `if (event.getRepeatCount() == 0) isShortPress = true; else isShortPress = false;` inside `onKeyDown` — xmen, Apr 24 '13 at 01:59
@xmen W.K Yes, this could surely be done with less flags. It was actually to show that you can use flags. — VendettaDroid, Apr 24 '13 at 06:13

score 12 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 14 '13 at 07:30

Correct way according to the SDK to handle long button presses.

import android.app.Activity;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.KeyEvent;


public class TestVolumeActivity extends Activity
{
    private static final String TAG = TestVolumeActivity.class.getSimpleName();

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if( keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP || 
            keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN)
        {
            event.startTracking();
            return true;
        }
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event)
    {
        if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP){
            Log.d(TAG, "Long press KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP");
            return true;
        }
        else if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN){
            Log.d(TAG, "Long press KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN");
            return true;
        }
        return super.onKeyLongPress(keyCode, event);
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onKeyUp(int keyCode, KeyEvent event)
    {
        if((event.getFlags() & KeyEvent.FLAG_CANCELED_LONG_PRESS) == 0){
            if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP){
                Log.e(TAG, "Short press KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP");
                return true;
            }
            else if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN){
                Log.e(TAG, "Short press KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN");
                return true;
            }
        }
        return super.onKeyUp(keyCode, event);
    }
}

Much more standard and much cleaner. My only problem was that my device would beep shortly after the long press, which I solved by adding `else if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP || keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) { return true; }` to `onKeyUp`. — corwin.amber, Nov 20 '16 at 16:01

Rolf ツ · Answer 3 · 2012-10-18T09:31:17.297

When i was about to post my answer i found out some one already got some kind of solution....

But here is mine, simple and works like a charm. Just one flag ;)

This code detects shortpresses and longpresses, when a longpress occurs no shortpress will be fired!

Note: if you want the normal volume up and down behavior change the return true in the onKeyPress method to the super call like this:

event.startTracking();
if(event.getRepeatCount() == 0){
    shortPress = true;
}
//return true;
return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);

Code without the super call:

private boolean shortPress = false;

@Override
public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        shortPress = false;
        Toast.makeText(this, "longPress", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        return true;
    }
    //Just return false because the super call does always the same (returning false)
    return false;
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        if(event.getAction() == KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN){
            event.startTracking();
            if(event.getRepeatCount() == 0){
                shortPress = true;
            }
            return true;
        }
    }
    return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyUp(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        if(shortPress){
            Toast.makeText(this, "shortPress", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } else {
            //Don't handle longpress here, because the user will have to get his finger back up first
        }
        shortPress = false;
        return true;
    }
    return super.onKeyUp(keyCode, event);
}

Code down here is with the volume up key added, just pick your side ;)

private boolean shortPress = false;

@Override
public boolean onKeyLongPress(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        shortPress = false;
        Toast.makeText(this, "longPress Volume Down", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        return true;
    } else if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP){
        shortPress = false;
        Toast.makeText(this, "longPress Volume Up", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        return true;
    }
    //Just return false because the super call does always the same (returning false)
    return false;
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN || keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP) {
        if(event.getAction() == KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN){
            event.startTracking();
            if(event.getRepeatCount() == 0){
                shortPress = true;
            }
            return true;
        }
    }
    return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
}

@Override
public boolean onKeyUp(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_DOWN) {
        if(shortPress){
            Toast.makeText(this, "shortPress Volume Down", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } else {
            //Don't handle longpress here, because the user will have to get his finger back up first
        }
        shortPress = false;
        return true;
    } else if(keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_VOLUME_UP){
        if(shortPress){
            Toast.makeText(this, "shortPress Volume up", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        } else {
            //Don't handle longpress here, because the user will have to get his finger back up first
        }
        shortPress = false;
        return true;

    }
    return super.onKeyUp(keyCode, event);
}

This is the better answer, since it uses lesser variables and mnemonic code. Well done. — Avijit, Mar 25 '14 at 02:27

lucian.pantelimon · Answer 4 · 2012-10-18T09:06:55.290

I don't know if this answer will provide an acceptable solution to your problem, as it has relies on getting frequent KeyDown events on a constant basis.

You could try remembering the system time when the last KeyDown event is thrown (I'll name it tLast), and ignore all KeyDown events until you get a KeyLongPressed event.

In order to get the "right" KeyDown events (the ones you ignored in the previous step), you could have a thread checking if the time difference between the current system time and tLast (I'll name it tDelta) is big enough so as not to be considered a continuous press.

Given that a lot of KeyDown events are thrown in a short period of time, you could theoretically determine the the volume button wasn't pressed continuously when the events are spaced enough (tDelta is greater than a fixed value).

The short-coming of this solution is that, if the user presses the volume button really fast (tDelta between presses is lower than the fixed value used to evaluate a continuous press), the multiple key presses will be ignored/considered as a continuous key press.

Another (minor) short-coming is that there would be a delay before interpreting the regular key presses, as tDelta would have to be greater than the fixed value used when evaluating if you are dealing with a regular or continuous key press.

Regards,

Lucian

EDIT: Hmm ... second thought: Aren't you using a KeyListener Android implementation?

If you are using this, check out the onKeyUp method defined for this.

I think it would be more elegant if you'd just extend this class (or one of it's derived classes) and use the onKeyUp method to determine if you are dealing with a continuous presss (i.e. the time the button has been held down is greater than a fixed value).

If you can use this method, please do it. It's also more efficient, easier to maintain and more straightforward than the work-around presented above.

KeyListener Javadoc

onKeyDown and onKeyLongPress

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